We draw your immediate
and prompt attention to the following two incidents in the village of
Belwa and Indrawar in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The incident at
the Village Belwa took place at 6 A.M. on 13th November 2001. One of PVCHR's
Women activist and also the Coordinator of a Women's Forum "Savitri
Ba Phule", Durga and her husband Adya Prasad, were attacked violently
by armed men of Rajendra Tiwari, the husband of the current Belwa village
Pradhan. Consequently both sustained serious injuries on the head and
lost a lot of blood.

They were both taken
to Phulpur Thana of Varanasi (UP). From there, on the advice of the Station
in charge, Durga was taken for medical check up. In the meantime, on receiving
this information the Women's Helpline was informed on their phone and
also a telegram was sent to the SSP around 11 A.M. Later I sent him a
written petition also by speed post. By evening three members of the gang
who attacked were arrested and sent to jail. However the police under
pressure from political patrons of R. Tiwari had held Adya in the Police
Station for more than 24 hours. On the 14th of November 2001, I informed
NHRC by Mobile and later had a telephonic talk with the SSP. Later our
legal Advisor, Tanveer Ahmad Siddiqui, applied for Bail under IPC 323
and 506 in the court of the 4th ACJM, Varanasi (UP) and he was released.
However the police had wrongfully named three of PVCHR activist in the
FIR.

The police officers complained of political pressure backing Tiwari who
is the ex-Pradhan of Belwa village and has been the Pradhan for more than
20 years. During this period he had not done anything for the development
of the village. After the introduction of Women's Reservation he had placed
his wife as the Pradhan. But this is only in name. Since her accepting
this post she has never held any meeting of the village nor does she ever
come out of her house During his tenure Tiwari prevented more than 3000
people from voting and even stopped some people from getting their Photo
Identity Cards being made. He has the backing of such political groups
as Ajay Rai, MLA and Baba Singh, elected head of the Block, etc. This
is a violation of Supreme Court Judgement in criminal appeal No:218 of
1966 which directed that the investigation task of Police should be placed
beyond any kind of intervention by the executive or non-executive (Report
of NIRC 1995-96,Pg.No:97). The law enforcement agencies should be directed
to do their job without fear. On the 12th of November 2001, the community
had organized a street play in which apart from education, the issue of
the Pradhan 's husband Rajendra Tiwari's misdeeds had also been highlighted.

This we believe had
provoked him. Earlier on the 23rd of March 2001 and 5th September 2001
we had organized rallies and demonstration on these issues. The other
incident had happened at the village Indrawar whose Pradhan, Hari Shankar
Vishwakarma had been accused by the villagers of taking bribes amounting
to Rs.500 to Rs.1500 in land allotment. This matter had been brought to
the notice of the authorities vide rallies and petitions. On the23rd of
October 2001, PVCHR had orgainsed a meeting of the Villagers regarding
Education Campaign. During the meeting the Pradhan's henchmen Kalu and
Sanju, had abused my wife, Shruti, and me and later even kicked her and
threatened to kill both of us.

Later the Pradhan
rang me on the phone and threatened not only to kill me but also register
false cases against me. I immediately informed the concerned station in
charge and later also petitioned him. At around 19.50 I had sent a telegram
to the SSP. On the 24th October 2001, I had complained to S.S.P. of Varanasi
vide Registered Post. However, till now no action has been taken. Now
our activist Ram Prasad has been threatened. The Pradhan has said he is
getting a licensed gun and would kill Ram Prasad and later me. They also
threatened the teacher of our Primary School, Asha Devi. We bring to your
immediate notice fresh threats to PVCHR activist, not only against their
works but also their lives.
In the village of Belwa under Phulpur Thana of Varanasi (UP), the husband
of the village Pradhan, Rajendra Tiwari, warned PVCHR activist, i.e.,
Satyanarayan Giri, Sanjay Singh, and me (Dr. Lenin) not to use the streets
of Belwa Village. These streets were laid due to PVCHR intervention and
campaign. He also threatened to burn the Huts of those villagers who would
attend NAFRE's rally at New Delhi scheduled for the28th of November 2001,
for positive changes in the 93rd Amendment related to Fundamental Rights
of Children's Education.

Demands

1. Immediate revoking
of the cases against our activists

2. Initiate enquiries against Tiwari and his misdeeds. Not
only is he running his own private school in the Government Health Centre
in the Village but is preventing the establishment of any Government
School in the Village. As a result the children had to go to another
school 1km away. This is a gross violation of the Supreme Court Judgement
in the case of Unnikrishnan Vs AP (1993-ISC645)

3. Enquiry into the bribe related activities of the Pradhan of Village
Indrawar, Hari Shankar Vishwakarma, in land allotment.

4. FIR against Harishankar Vishwakarma for threatening to kill me (Dr.
Lenin), Ram Prasad, Field Activist, and Asha Devi, Teacher of school
run by PVCHR.

5. Tiwari 's wife is current Pradhan only in name. She never holds any
meeting nor does she come out of her house except to meet the District
Magistrate and other programme officials.

6. The U.P. Government should secure the safety of Human Rights Defenders
in Uttar Pradesh.